The Treasury Department has now sanctioned the almost the entire civilian airline of the nation of Iran in response to two 747 Cargo planes being spotted by satellite and allegedly delivering arms to Syria. The airframes are listed by registration number and may no longer be serviced for any passenger service. The overwhelming majority of these frames have not been photographed in Syria and are passenger only models. 117 total airframes.

The inability to service these planes or fly them is a real threat to civilian passengers. Opine.

It seems to include virtually the whole IR fleet, but what does it actually mean in practice; obviously, it's been years since IR flew to the US; would this prevent Ahmedinejad visting the UN, for example?

Until we actually know the effect, it is just another sanction against Iran and unless others impose similar sanctions (e.g. the EU) it's hard to see it having an actual effect on day to day service.

Could USN F-18s force IR flights to DXB (for example) return to Iran, if they are patrolling in that region?

I don't think it's about planes flying to the US at all, that already doesn't happen (diplomatic flights are another matter). I'm guessing it means any company doing business with the US can't have anything to do with those planes.

New Technology is the name we give to stuff that doesn't work yet. Douglas Adams

I feel sanctions like this are especially beyond reproach. Jet travel is a luxury, not a basic human right. If Iran lets planes fly that are dangerous, any "threat to civilian passengers" or serious consequences are the result of Iranian government policy to fly unsafe planes, not America's policy to deny them spare parts.
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If Air France, AA or Cathay fly a plane with parts they know to be unsafe - that is their neglicence, if there was a snafu or other inability to get correct parts, the airplane operator is to blame for flying a dangerous plane, not the parts distributor.

Quoting solarflyer22 (Thread starter):The overwhelming majority of these frames have not been photographed in Syria and are passenger only models. 117 total airframes.

Hmm They're really putting the clamps on Iran now. I wonder when they'll start hitting up Russia and China for aircraft. But even then a number of Russian craft are on that list. I wonder, does Russia use US creditors for aircraft maintenance?

Quoting kaitak (Reply 4):Until we actually know the effect, it is just another sanction against Iran and unless others impose similar sanctions (e.g. the EU) it's hard to see it having an actual effect on day to day service.

Quoting kaitak (Reply 4):Could USN F-18s force IR flights to DXB (for example) return to Iran, if they are patrolling in that region?

Based on just a US embargo not a single chance in international or foreign airspace.

In reality nothing has been changed.

I believe in coincidences. Coincidences happen every day. But I don't trust coincidences.